Current Favourites | Months worth of new loves built into one

This post has been a long time coming, meaning it’s also going be about a mile long. So grab a cup of tea folks, we’re gonna be here awhile. There’s been so many new discoveries lately, new products I use everyday and things I’m looking forward to, I just had to yell about them somewhere.

So to start off, basically my entire skincare regime is a new fave. I feel like I’ve finally found something that works for me, and while my skin is by no means perfect I’ve definitely noticed a difference. And not just me – other people have too! A fair few people have commented on how glowy my skin looks lately, and it’s the first time anyone has ever actually complimented me on such a thing. So it must be something, right?

The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 1% and Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%

I know, all those long acidic names and percentages make this look like some sort of witches concoction you wouldn’t dream of putting near your face, but honestly these products have been a miracle worker for me. It’s a brand with loads of different products you can tailor to your choosing – and while it can be a bit daunting, all those names and percentages, there’s tonnes of websites/blog posts/general tips out there to help you find the products you want. After doing some research, I decided to try these two. The Salicylic Acid (which I use in the mornings) is said to help with oil prone, congested skin and blemishes while the Niacinamide + Zinc (used evenings) helps with blemishes and scarring. I’ve genuinely seen an improvement in my skin since using these two solutions, and at about £5 each I’m beyond thrilled to have found something that works for me without breaking the bank.

I will just say though, definitely do your research before throwing any old concoction on your face, if you’re wanting to try this brand out. Some of the solutions don’t mix too well together – for example, it was advised I use the two of mine at different times instead of together because the acidity could become too high, hence the switch between solutions in morning and evening – so it’s worth just typing in the combo you’re wanting to try and see what advice comes up. But that makes it sound a lot more intense than it is. I’d definitely recommend looking into it, and apparently it’s been a cult skincare brand for loads of people for years. I wish it hadn’t taken me so long to find!

The Body Shop’s Vitamin E Moisturiser

This is something I’ve been using for awhile, but I can’t get over how much I love it. At first I was hesitant to try it, because at £13 for this lil tub it was a bit pricey compared to what I used to use. But this is just such a nice, thick gel moisturiser that is cooling on the skin when you apply it and just generally makes me feel awake. It sinks in really nicely, and leaves me looking alive – which is a bigger feat than you might imagine in a morning. With it being a thick gel-like texture too, you only need to use a tiny bit each time, so the £13 does stretch over a fair few months for me. I can’t see myself switching to any other moisturiser for a long time.

An Autumnal Woodland Aesthetic

If you follow me of twitter at all, you might have seen that recently my style has taken a woodland themed turn. I adore patterns, and whether it be my excitement for autumn or my inner wish to become a fantasy woodland queen, everything I’ve been buying and wearing lately has taken on that aesthetic. I feel like I’ve managed to nail my style at last, and there’s honestly nothing better than getting ready every day and feeling somewhat confident for once.

Too Faced Natural Matte Palette

On a day to day basis, the only makeup I tend to bother with is eye makeup. I don’t always wear eyeshadow and so I’ve never bothered getting anything too extravagant…until now? I decided to treat myself in July to this gorgeous eyeshadow palette I’ve been eyeing up for months and months now, but couldn’t justify buying until I finished my summer internship and had a li’l extra money from it to do so. This is just the perfect colour theme to me – neutrals, all matte, browns and reds, and the middle row of purples I specifically wanted as I’m going to be a bridesmaid in November, colour scheme purple. They’re so easy to blend, and I can create a natural look with barely any effort or change it to something more dramatic if I’m feeling it. And as an added bonus: it even smells nice *shrugs*

Anticipating Uni Reading

Ok, so, I’ve still got over a month of summer left, but I’m eagerly anticipating being back at uni. I’ve been gradually collecting the books I need to read, hoping to get a small head start by doing some summer reading (though let’s be real, that’s not going be a huge head start if I don’t get on it soon), and seeing all the books come together, the timetable being planned and just generally being reminded of how much I love studying is getting me all excited. Granted, I know I’ll be stressed as hell. I’ll probably complain about everything and everything while I’m there. But at the same time, I feel like I almost strive from being stressed? And having a purpose to my days again will be a welcome blessing.

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie

A musical about a 16 year old drag queen set in Sheffield, I just HAD to go and watch this when I found out there was a live stream in cinemas in June. And everyday since, I’ve been belting out the soundtrack. I’m not exaggerating. There’s so many good songs on this album, and every single person in the show has an INCREDIBLE voice, I just can’t. Somehow I’ve not managed to get bored of it yet – in fact, I’m listening to it right now as I type this post (listening/singing along/taking forever to write this post because of it). My favourite songs have to be Don’t Even Know It (honestly, listen to this while you’re getting ready in a morning and you’ll leave the house feeling like you’re gonna slay the day), Spotlight and He’s My Boy.

Mamma Mia – both of them

The lead up to Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again made me buy the soundtrack to the first one, and it’s been an almost daily jam session. You just can’t beat Mamma Mia, can you? ABBA songs, incredible actors and singers, the costume department being something to envy…gah, don’t we all just want to live that story? And then of course, I saw the second film and almost bawled my eyes out, adored every second, and just outright adored it. I could say so much more but it’d just turn into an essay about how much I adore Amanda Seyfried and Lily James. So we’ll leave it here while we’re ahead, yeah?

Rings

And finally – rings. My love for them has come back once more, and since you could really tell my old ones were – in fact – very old, I decided to buy some new ones. These two in particular are my new favourites, bought from an independent vintage shop. The intricate designs on both, the green stone n the larger one and the darker silver finish to it just makes these designs perfect for me, and I’ve worn them everyday since I bought them.

So, those are my current favourites! Let me know if you have any current favourite things from recent months, if you’ve listened/seen Everybody’s Talking About Jamie or Mamma Mia, or if you’re looking forward to uni starting too! I’d love to have a chat with you 🙂

Newsies is a Disney musical- there is a live typed version of it on Netflix. It is a Disney musical of the Newsboy Strike of 1899. It is filled with mind-blowing dance. Such a delight to watch. It won Tony’s for best choreography and best score.

Pippin- Stephen Schwatrz musical. Tony Award winner for Best Revival. About a man trying to figure out where he belongs or his “Corner of the Sky”. I first saw it on tour in 2015.

Music Man- there is a movie of that. It is a classic. Harold Hill, the protagonist, is a conman who ends up in River City creating a boy’s band, whose intention is just to sell the uniforms and instrument, but ends up transforming the town. It is such a light-hearted musical.

I love The Ordinary, they’re really helpful with consults too. Niacinamide is probably my second favourite product after marin hyaluronics and I use it daily.
Those rings are gorgeous too!
Cora | http://www.teapartyprincess.co.uk

I love these kinds of blog posts, especially loving the variety and your autumnal wardrobe. I need a new face cream and have heard good things about that Body Shop one and might give it a go (glad to see that it’ll last a bit!).